PALLAS - THE DREAMS OF MEN TOUR 2006
support: FROST* (World Premiere)
Power, charisma and humour are the trademarks of every show by PALLAS, the melodic hardrockers of British Symphonic-Prog. Centre stage take of course the impressive melodies with throbbing bass, artistic guitar soli and hymn-like keyboards, driving drums and expressive vocals.
After four years, the Scottish quintet will finally perform some rare full-fledged headliner gigs again in Continental Europe. They present their album "The Dreams Of Men" that unites heavy rock moments with gentle pastoral classical symphonic moments, folky parts and powerful symphonic prog. It captures everything that Pallas stands for.
Support will be the brand-new band FROST*who can be seen live for the first time ever. Singer and keyboard player Jem Godfrey is well-known as producer and composer for acts like Ronan Keating and Atomic Kitten - but his true love has always been progressive rock. The further line-up of the band reads like the whos who of the prog-scene: John Mitchell (It Bites, Kino, Arena) on guitar, John Jowitt (IQ, Jadis) on bass and Andy Edwards (Robert Plant, IQ) on drums.
Pallas are like IQ and Marillion one of the figureheads of British Symphonic-Prog that came into existence in the 1980s. Since the release of their album The Sentinel in 1984, they have a loyal following that is continually growing each year. Their debut album with its rocking riffs and impressive melodies counts as a timeless classic of that genre. In their heart, Pallas are hardrockers with a prog-soul.
On their latest album The Dreams Of Men, they combine very heavy rocky moments with gentle pastoral classical symphonic moments, folky parts and powerful symphonic prog. It captures everything that Pallas stands for. Music that always holds up with quality and excitement but never sounds too shallow, too technical, or too bombastic. So Pallas achieve what few manage: to attract fans of old school prog rock as well as those who like the modern elements. They unite the melody-loving progfan with the open-minded hardrocker.
Line-Up:
Graeme Murray - Bass
Alan Reed - Vocals
Niall Matthewson - Guitar
Ronnie Brown - Keyboards
Colin Fraser - Drums
FROST*
Masters behind the mixing desk can also be consummate musicians in their own right as fans of Alan Parsons will testify. Parsons was originally a sound engineer at Abbey Road studios and was putting the finishing touches on Pink Floyds seminal classic Dark Side Of The Moon long before he chartered a successful career with the Alan Parsons Project. Now another British studio wizard Jem Godfrey, founder and keyboarder of Frost*, is about to carve his own niche in the rock world. Only with Jem Godfrey, there are worlds apart between his studio productions and his own compositions.
After five years of songwriting with three chords and lyrics that rhyme heart with start, I had to give my brain some fresh air. Nothing against pop music, its like a family car, reliable and safe. But now and then you want to rent a Ferrari and race it along the Nuerburgring to prove to yourself that youre still alive. Prog is my Ferrari.
So far Jem Godfrey has successfully co-composed and co-produced pop hits, e.g. for Atomic Kitten, whose number one hit sold over two million copies alone. Apart from that he worked for Blue, Ronan Keating, Lulu and Samantha Mumba as well as scoring further chart success with Holly Vallance (Kiss Kiss), Atomic Kitten and Shane Ward (winner of the talent show X-Factor).
Now Godfrey used his experience as hit single producer for the brand-new debut Milliontown of his band Frost*: Its much more difficult to write pop hits than most people think. You have to get to the point as quickly and as effectively as possible. When you can tell people something inspiring in three minutes, using a wonderful melody and wrapping it in great production, then youve got a hit. I dont see why it can't be the same with prog.
Want to support the band?
Want to raise the chances for another Pallas tour in Europe?
Want to have more prog gigs in Europe by supporting bookers who hire prog bands?
So please tell friends, enemies, family, relatives, pet lovers, co-workers, vegans, debt collectors, scientologists (although only 3 are allowed per show), and colleagues that we are hoping to see them at one (or more) of the Pallas/Frost* stops in October.
PALLAS LIVE ON STAGE
Live, Pallas get their songs across even more dynamic and hypnotic than on their albums.
The Scottish quintet has played in front of 25.000 people at the Reading Festival in England. They sold-out the Marquee Club in London several times. And they played shows with bands like Thin Lizzy, Uriah Heep and UFO.
Their joy in performing is contagious, their humour lovable. Singer Alan Reed fascinates with his charisma. Its no surprise that many think Pallas are one of the most stirring live acts of the genre: These Scots simply rock every house!
PALLAS BEAT THE DRUM
Live at Aschaffenburg/Germany in Jan 2002
FROST LIVE ON STAGE
- the brandnew band for the first time live on stage!!!
Frost*s debut album Milliontown is fresh and inspiring - featuring some beautiful and virtuoso piano playing from Godfrey as in the opener Hyperventilate or on the elegiac Snowman. Furthermore, there is also room to groove with the hard rocking No Me No You, which also offers some clever time changes and perplexing musicianship. Another highlight of the album is the beguiling harmony vocals and catchy melodies, such as on The Other Me with its mighty wall of bass and synths, occasionally flirting with funk. The album concludes with the astonishing 25 minute title track that sees the band pull out all the stops in a musical frenzy that will leave prog fans salivating.
Like Godfreys compositions, the band itself came into being in a similarly unusual way:
"When I had decided to record a prog album, I went out and bought around 40 CDs by the leading bands from this genre over the last few years. One of these CDs was the Kino album Picture. So I sent an e-mail to John Mitchell and asked him whether he would be interested in playing guitar on my album. It was a similar case with Andy Edwards and John Jowitt of IQ. So I ended up with three of the best musicians from the UK prog scene in my band! And I can promise that we will rock the people when we go out to perform Milliontown live."
And last but not least a special treat for all symphonic-prog fans:
NEO FEATURING ALAN REED PLAYING "GREATER GLORY" BY PALLAS
(ROSFest 2006)
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Pallas are like IQ and Marillion one of the figureheads of British Symphonic-Prog that came into existence in the 1980s. Since the release of their album The Sentinel in 1984, they have a loyal following that is continually growing each year. Their debut album with its rocking riffs and impressive melodies counts as a timeless classic of that genre. In their heart, Pallas are hardrockers with a prog-soul.
Masters behind the mixing desk can also be consummate musicians in their own right as fans of Alan Parsons will testify. Parsons was originally a sound engineer at Abbey Road studios and was putting the finishing touches on Pink Floyds seminal classic Dark Side Of The Moon long before he chartered a successful career with the Alan Parsons Project. Now another British studio wizard Jem Godfrey, founder and keyboarder of Frost*, is about to carve his own niche in the rock world. Only with Jem Godfrey, there are worlds apart between his studio productions and his own compositions.
